Hat supporting device



2 8, 1936. G. B. CONLEY 2,033,828

' HAT SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1934 fgar B C 4 Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to supports adapted to be placed inside of hats made of felt, soft straw, cloth and the like for the purpose of retaining the shape thereof while worn and while being 5, carelessly handled.

An object is to provide a hat crown support which will accurately retain the desired shape of the crown, particularly the crease thereof, without impairment to comfort.

A further object is toprovide a hat crown supporting device which may be quickly inserted into the hat by persons of ordinary skill without the use of special tools and properly adjusted for comfortable wear.

A further object is to provide a hat support which may be made ofvery light material and which will be economical from the standpoint of manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a' hat support of the character above mentioned which may be easily inserted into hats of different size and nevertheless comfortably worn while serving the intended purpose.

Other objects and features of theinvention will become apparent fromthe following description relating to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiments.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device in use in an. illustrative form of hat;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the supporting device of Fig. 1 in perspective;

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged. detail sectional views taken on planes respectively indicatedby the lines 3-3.and 4-4 on Fig. 1; and.

Fig. 5 is a view of the support taken transversely of the hat and looking toward the front, showing a modification of the forward portion of the support; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified crease clamp.

Referring to Fig. 2 the main body I of the supporting device comprises a single piece of wire preferably of. spring steel, piano wire being suitable, say of the gauge ordinarily employed for carburetor controls on automobiles, or slightly lighter. As shown, particularly in Fig. 2, the wire is bent into a loop 2, the upper portion of which is adapted to receive the crease of the hat, this being longitudinally of the hat as now worn. Extending rearwardly from the top of the loop 2 are generally parallel stretches of the wire as at 4, these being preferably bowed toward each other about in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 so as to better grip the crease; At the rear of the portions 4 both stretches of wire are bent upwardly and outwardly as at 5 and then forwardly as at 6, forming outwardly bowed and somewhat crowned portions or stretches l, approaching each other as at 8. The wire is then bent downwardly 5 on a suitable radius forming converging substantially vertical stretches 9, the lower end portions of which are suitably connected. As shown the stretches 9 are clasped. and tightly retained as by a sheet metal ferrule member ID.

An important feature is the transverse spacing of the adjoining portionsof the wire (at 8) in connection with the resiliency of the wire stock. This device, by yieldingly pressing outwardly on the hat crown material at thefront portion of the 15 crease prevents the formation of a. sharp corner in the hat crown in the region where the downward apexof the crease joins the vertical wall of the hat. Ordinarily, the corner formed at this region subjectsthe hat to considerable concen- 2o trated wear resulting in a hole finally being worn through the hat material destroying the appearance of the hat.

The upper portion of the ferrule ID has curled over portions Illa (see Fig. 3) which respectively 25 embrace the free ends of the wire in a manner to firmly grip them. The free ends of the wire terminate short of the lower end of the ferrule so that the tab may be adjusted up and down on the vertical stretches 9 of the wire without exposing the ends of the wire, so that the height of the forward portion of the support (below the bends 8) may be adjusted to accommodate. hats of different height. The lower portion lllb of the ferrule forms a tab which may be bent to generally fit the curve of. the hat at its front end. The tab may have slight upstanding and forwardly protruding barbs I00 punched therefrom if desired, to engage the felt e. g. of the hat and prevent. the tab from creeping upwardlyout of position when in place in the hat as will. be presently more fully explained. V

The wire clasping portion of the ferrule device I0 may be made separately from the'tab portion if desired, so that the tab portion may be made of softer material adapted to be bent into exactly the shape of the hat band in order that the presence of the tab will not be felt by the wearer. The ferrule-tab device may, for example, be made of carbon. steel so that the upper part will securely holdthe parallel ends of the wire stretches 9 for sliding movement thereon, the tab portiononly being annealed so that it may be easily bent to conform to the hat.

Referring again to the. rear portion of the sup- '55 port (see Figs. 2mm 4), it will be noted that the inwardly bowed stretches 4 of the wire support a metal clip [2, this generally conforming in cross section to the loop 2 and being also adapted to receive a portion of the crease of the hat.

which the forward portion of the crown is to be supported, adjusting the ferrule device on the stretches 9 in accordance with such'height and then slipping the tab Illa into the position shown in Fig. 1, between the crown material and the;.,

' from Fig. 6 that the rearmost portions of the sweat band. The crease C is then formed in the 'hat approximately as desired by the user, the

lower rearward portionof the crease being in.- sertedintothe embrace of the spring loop 2, the clip I2 and the bowedstretches 4 of thewire. In accomplishing thislatter operation the spring clip I! is slid forwardly onthe stretches 4 about into abutment with the loop 2 which results in the stretches 4 spreading apart rearwardly from. the clip I2 by virtueof the resiliency of the wire. Such spreading of the stretches 4 rearwardly from the loop and clip assists in inserting the crease of the hatmaterial into position between said stretches, and after such insertion the clip I2 may be slid rearwardly along the crease, spreading the wire, if necessary while so doing, in order to prevent tearing the material of the hat by the clip. Both the loop 2 and the clip- IZ tightly pinch the material, likewise the inwardly bowed stretches 4, as will be obvious, and these portions may be slid on thecrease to such position that the vertical front portions of the supportfit the hat snugly'without, however, dis torting the same. If the hat, by reason of some special or unusual shape, is found-to be distorted at the front portion of the crown, the wire ystretc hes at 1 or 9 may be gradually bent while in place sufficiently to relieve such distortion.

Referring now to Fig. 5, this illustrates that instead of the adjustable ferrule-tab ID, the free ends of the wire itself. may be bent as at l5 forming wing effects for retention between the hat material and the sweatband. This figure also 'showsthat the shape of the'stretches 9 may be controlled to spread the vertical portions of the wire apart either at the top or at the bottom, as required by the contour of the hat, by adjusting a suitable metal clip- I6 along the stretches 9' upwardly or downwardly.

It is obvious that the supporting device may be turned end for end and the vertical support ii- 9, 9'- 9', usedjat' the rear of the hat instead of at the front; usagein this respect being determined principally by'style. The terms forwardly and 'rearwardly as used in the claims arejtherefora'not by Way of limitation but only wardlyiextending stretches 5 be sufficiently open for convenience of definition. Except from the standpoint of manufacture, the term wire is also used'in a broad sense; for light sheet ,metal strip stock properly cut and bent will serve the same essential purposes as ordinary round wire, butwill not be as inexpensive.

As shown in Fig. '4, it is desirable that the ups o that when the bowed horizontal portions 1 are pressed toward each other, as by the hand of the user on the crown of. the hat, the stretches 4,

holding the crease, will notbe pried apart,

If desired, I may eliminate the clip l2 and de pend entirely upon the spring strength of the wire forming the support to hold the stretches 4 in tight engagement with the crease of the hat. This modification is ordinarily employed where the wire is highly tempered or of fairly heavy stock. It is preferable in such case that the rearward portions of the stretches 4 be disposed normally in contact and that the forward portions 7 be separated as shown in plan in Fig; 6. This figure shows the preferred manner of making the crease clasping portion of the support without a reinforcing clip, it being noted that the portions. 4 are in close contact and the portions 4 slightly spaced, say about one-sixteenth of an inch. The loop 2 in this construction will be substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2. It is clear horizontal stretches 4 will not in case the hat material is relatively heavy i. e. thick clasp the fold of the hat material with as much force as the forward portions (at'4") even though the latter portions are sp-a'ced, onaccount of. the forward portions acting on a much shorter effective lever arm and hence with greater force. Nevertheless, irrespective of the thickness of the hat material,

clasping is effected at 4'; it being obvious that.

the thinner or lighter the hat material is the less clasping force is necessary.

It is to be understood that in some cases, as

where the support is to be sold at low cost, the 7 vertical stretches 9 or 9' may not be connected at all. devices Ill and Hi. This is more applicable where the hat to be supported is of fairly heavy ma- In other words, I may eliminate the ferrule terial such that the vertical stretches 9 are not material and sweat band of the hat;

2 A support according to claim l'wherein'the frame has generally parallel and vertical end portions and the vertically adjustable means comprises a ferrule adapted to tightly embrace said generally parallel portions of the frame.

3. A hat crown support comprising a wire member having a substantially vertical loop open at the topto receive. the crease of the hat and generally parallel portions extending longitudinally of the hat in one direction from the loop and adapted to yieldingly embrace the crease, and crown sup'portingportions extending upwardly and then longitudinally of the hat in the reverse direction from said generally parallel .portions. r

4. A hat crown support comprising a wirev member havinga loop to receive and clasp the crease of the hat and substantially horizontal inwardly bowed portions, adjacent the loop, crown supportingportions connected with said horizontal portions and disposed thereabove, and a spring 7 clip bridging the horizontal portions and adapted to be slid therealong to retain the horizontal portions instressed engagement with the crease. v 5. A hat crown support comprising in' combination, upper spaced stretches of wire adapted to be disposed in the crown of the hat, means joining said stretches at respective ends, said means including a vertical loop adapted to clasppthe crease of the hat, and a tab adapted to be inserted between the body material of the crown and the sweat band, and means for retaining the tab against vertical movement therebetween when in place.

6. In a hat crown support of the character described, comprising spaced longitudinally extending members adapted to support such crown and extending downwardly at one end thereof, means at said end joining the downwardly extending portions, said joining means comprising a metal clip slidably embracing said members and adapted to be adjusted vertically thereon.

7. In a hat crown support of the character described, comprising spaced members adapted to support the crown of the hat and vertically extending means at one end of said spaced members adapted to be inserted between the body material of the crown and the sweat band of the hat, said means including an upwardly and outwardly inclined barb adapted to engage the material of the hat and prevent upward movement of said means from the inserted position.

8. In a hat crown support of the character described, spaced members adapted to extend horizontally on opposite sides of a crease in such crown, and means connected therewith adapted to extend substantially vertically for insertion between the body material of the crown and the sweat band of the hat, and a barb extending generally diagonally from said means and adapted to hook into the material of the hat consequent upon positioning said means in the hat as aforesaid, to prevent movement of the said means in a predetermined direction out of position.

9. In a hat support of the class described, a clasp adapted to embrace a crease in the crown material, said clasp comprising substantially horizontally extending spring wire members, and an upwardly open spring loop joining the members and depending therefrom transversely of the crease in a vertical plane, the arms of the loop being normally spaced apart so as to readily receive the crease, and portions of the horizontally extending wire members extending normally into contaot'with each other, said portions being horizontally spaced from the plane of the loop in the direction of extent of said spring wire members, and being held in said contact by the spring of the wire thereof and the retaining effect of the loop, whereby pressure will be applied by said portions on the crown material forming the crease, notwithstanding that the thickness of the material may be insufficient for the loop itself to exert pressure thereon.

10. A hat support comprising a wire frame having a pair of horizontally extending stretches of wire adapted to lie in the hat on opposite sides of the crease in the crown thereof, said wire having downwardly extending stretches joined together materially below the horizontal plane of the horizontal stretches, said downwardly extending stretches being adapted to be inserted between the hat material and the sweat band as a positioning means for the frame, the forward portions of said horizontal stretches and upper portions of the downwardly extending stretches adjacent thereto being spaced apart transversely of the crease sufficient to yieldingly maintain the forward portions of the crease spread out, whereby to reduce concentrated wear on the hat material at the forward end of the crease and in the longitudinal central vertical plane of the hat.

GEORGE B. CONLEY. 

